Rooftop Solar PV System
Australia's Allume Energy has the world's only technology that can share rooftop solar power with multiple units in a residential apartment building.
Australia's Allume envisions a world where everyone has access to clean and affordable energy from the sun. It believes that everyone should have the power to reduce their electricity bills and carbon footprint, and that residents in multi-family housing have long been denied the opportunity to control their electricity consumption through rooftop solar. The company says its SolShare system solves that problem and provides low-cost, zero-emissions electricity to the people who live in those buildings, whether they own or rent.
Allume works with several partners in Australia, where many public housing units are reportedly unconditioned. They also often have little to no insulation, so the cost of running them can be a burden to low-income households if air conditioning is installed. Now, Allume is bringing its SolShare technology to the United States. In a press release dated March 15, it said it has successfully completed the commissioning of its SolShare clean energy technology at 805 Madison Street, an 8-unit multifamily building owned and operated by Belhaven Residential of Jackson, Mississippi. This latest project will help advance solar and metering technology in a market traditionally not served by renewable energy programs.
Solar Alternatives, a Louisiana-based solar contractor, installed a 22 kW rooftop solar array at 805 Madison Street. But instead of averaging solar energy between tenants, as most multifamily solar projects do, Allume's SolShare technology measures solar output second by second and matches it to each apartment's energy use.Mississippi Public Service Commission, Central District Commissioner Brent Bailey, and former Solar Innovation Fellow Alicia Brown, an integrated energy company providing electricity to 461,000 homes and businesses in 45 Mississippi counties and helps with project funding support the project. "Belhaven Residential has a focus on affordable quality housing, and we have an overall vision, and a committed vision, to meet the housing needs for our tenants," Jennifer Welch, the founder of Belhaven Residential said. "Implementing solar with the express goal of providing cleaner energy at an affordable price is a win win for our tenants and the environment." The installation of the SolShare system and rooftop solar will increase on-site clean energy consumption and reduce the energy burden for Belhaven Residential tenants, all of whom are eligible for Mississippi's low- and moderate-income benefits under the State of Mississippi's Distributed Generation Program.
"Residential consumers and building managers continue to pursue and embrace the benefits of a more sustainable energy mix, and I am pleased to see the results of our new rule and the partnerships that are developing in the community," said Commissioner Brent Bailey. "The distributed generation rule provides a customer-centric program that reduces risk, reduces energy consumption and returns money to customers."
SolShare is the only technology in the world that shares rooftop solar power with multiple apartments in the same building. SolShare offers a solution for apartment building residents who want the environmental and economic benefits of rooftop solar power, without having to change existing electricity supply and metering infrastructure. Previous SolShare installations have demonstrated savings of up to 40% on electricity bills.
